PREVIEW: STARS VS. CANUCKS
Looking for their sixth win in their last seven games, Lindy Ruff's Dallas Stars (7-2-0) will host former Dallas assistant and Texas Stars head coach Willie Desjardins' Vancouver Canucks (4-2-3) on Thursday nght. Game time at the American Airlines Center is 7:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest.
This is the first of three meetings between the teams this season, and the first of two in Dallas. The teams will rematch on Nov. 27 at the American Airlines Center and on Dec. 3 in Vancouver. Last year, Dallas swept the three-game season series.
After this game, the Stars wrap up their four-game homestand on Saturday afternoon against the San Jose Sharks. The Canucks, who are playing the front end of back-to-back road games and the middle match of a three-in-four set, are right back in action on Friday as they take on the Arizona Coyotes in Glendale.
Stars Outlook
The Stars enter this game coming off a dramatic 4-3 regulation win against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. Anaheim led the game 3-0 after the first period but the Stars stormed back for three unanswered goals in the second period and then went ahead to stay with just 1:28 remaining in the third period.
Antoine Roussel's first goal of the 2015-16 season proved to be the game-winner on Tuesday night. In the second period, Patrick Sharp's power play goal (first goal as a Star), Cody Eakin's shorthanded goal with 4:33 left in the period and John Klingberg's game-tying goal 94 seconds later sent the game to the second intermission tied at 3-3. Stars captain Jamie Benn racked up three assists in the process.
In goal, Antti Niemi faced just 11 shots -- stopping them all -- over the final 40 minutes after the team yielded three goals on nine Anaheim shots in the opening period. In the meantime, teammate Kari Lehtonen has enjoyed substantial recent success in games against Vancouver, posting a 1.42 goals-against average and .960 save percentage while winning each of his last seven starts.
Dallas defenseman Jason Demers has served his two-game NHL suspension for elbowing Pittsburgh Penguins' forward Nick Bonino. He is eligible to return to the lineup against the Canucks.
On the injury front, Travis Moen (upper body), Curtis McKenzie (lower body) and Patrick Eaves (lower body) all remain on injured reserve. The players skated on Wednesday but none are ready to play. Eaves is said to be the closest.
Canucks Outlook
The Canucks have been an effective road team in the early going of the new season, winning each of their first three away games. The team is coming off an impressive 5-1 home win on Tuesday against the previously undefeated Montreal Canadiens.
Nineteen-year-old Jared McCann scored twice against the Habs, bring his team-leading goal total to four on the season. Luca Sbisa, Radim Vrbata and Derek Dorsett also tallied for the Canucks. Ryan Miller stopped 25 of 26 shots to earn the win, yielding only a third-period power play goal to Torrey Mitchell.
Although Brandon Sutter did not record a point on Tuesday, he continues to lead the club in overall scoring with seven points (three goals, four assists) in nine games. Daniel Sedin is second with six points (two goals, four assists).
Vancouver lost Brandon Prust to an ankle during Tuesday's game. Veteran defenseman Dan Hamhuis was a late scratch due to a lower-body injury. Neither player made the trip to Dallas. The team has recalled veteran former Harvard University defenseman Alex Biega and young center Brendan Gaunce from the AHL's Utica Comets. Gaunce, who was selected by the Canucks in the first round of the 2012 NHL Draft, could make his NHL debut.
Additionally, veteran forward Chris Higgins (foot) and G Jacob Markström (hamstring) are out of the Canucks' lineup. Former Stars goaltender Richard Bachman is serving as Miller's backup in the absence of Markström.
Projected lineups (Subject to change)
STARS
14 Jamie Benn - 20 Cody Eakin - 91 Tyler Seguin 43 Valeri Nichushkin - 90 Jason Spezza - 10 Patrick Sharp 21 Antoine Roussel - 38 Vernon Fiddler - 22 Colton Sceviour 13 Mattias Janmark - 12 Radek Faksa - 83 Ales Hemsky
33 Alex Goligoski - 3 John Klingberg 47 Johnny Oduya - 4 Jason Demers 2 Jyrki Jokipakka - 24 Jordie Benn
32 Kari Lehtonen [31 Antti Niemi]
Scratches: Patrik Nemeth (healthy), Jamie Oleksiak (healthy), Travis Moen (upper body), Jamie Oleksiak (healthy), Patrick Eaves (IR, lower body), Curtis McKenzie (IR, lower body), Brett Ritchie (IR, wrist surgery).
CANUCKS
22 Daniel Sedin - 33 Henrik Sedin - 17 Radim Vrbata 47 Sven Baertschi - 53 Bo Horvat - 36 Jannik Hansen 14 Alexandre Burrows - 21 Brandon Sutter - 18 Jake Virtanen 50 Brendan Gaunce - 91 Jared McCann - 15 Derek Dorsett
23 Alexander Edler - 8 Chris Tanev 44 Matt Bartkowski - 6 Yannick Weber 27 Ben Hutton - 5 Luca Sbisa
30 Ryan Miller [32 Richard Bachman]
Scratches: Brandon Prust (ankle), Dan Hamhuis (lower body), Chris Higgins (foot), Jacob Markström (hamstring), Alex Biega (healthy), Adam Cracknell (healthy).